The Darkest Night
by bionic4ever
Summary: CLYG2: Michael has escaped from the mental hospital, and no one is safe. A sequel to Can't Let You Go. Warning: even weirder than the original!
1. Chapter 1

**The Darkest Night**

Chapter One

Jaime walked into Oscar's office in a bad mood that was aboput to get much worse. Since his door was open, she began complaining as soon as she hit the outer office. "Oscar, since when do I need an armed escort? I'm perfectly capable - oh." She stopped short when she saw the stern, anxious faces of the four men gathered there. Rudy, Steve and a stranger surrounded Oscar at his desk in a tight, tense circle.

Steve broke away and walked to the door where Jaime stood frozen. Placing an arm around her waist, he led her to a chair and stood protectively beside her, his hand on her shoulder as if he knew she would soon need the support.

"Jaime, this is Doctor Sam Argus," Oscar told her.

Jaime felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. "Argus...as in Argus Institute, where Michael is?"

"Where he was, anyway," Steve muttered angrily.

"What?" Jaime's face instantly turned ghost-pale. "Oh, no..."

Six months earlier, Michael Marchetti had been a talented young doctor, inventing new lifesaving procedures and surgical techniques. Jaime had been one of his patients and, breaking all the rules, they had fallen in love. Rudy, his boss and mentor, had arranged for him to be transferred to another facility, away from Jaime, and something inside Michael had simply snapped. He had attempted to kidnap Jaime from her hospital bed, and when his plan was thwarted he'd come terrifyingly close to killing her.

"But...he was supposed to be there at least a year, and go to prison after..." Jaime's voice was trembling almost as much as her body. Four pairs of eyes looked expectantly at Sam Argus, who was unable to look at any of them - especially Jaime - as he explained.

"Marchetti is highly intelligent, even in his current state. He turned up missing this morning, and my staff - some of the best and most highly trained in the business - have absolutely no clue how he did it, or even exactly when.

"In other words," Steve said, "He could have been out for an hour or two -"

"Or more than 10 hours," Argus confirmed.

"Has there been any improvement in his condition?" Oscar asked, frowning.

Unfortunately, no. In fact, he's gone downhill dramatically. When he was admitted, Marchetti still had at least some sense of reality, even if he chose to ignore it. In the last few months he has slipped completely into psychosis. That, combined with his intelligence, makes him an extremely dangerous individual."

Oscar rose from his chair. "Doctor, we appreciate your bringing us this information and Marchetti's file. I know you need to get back."

"Call me if there's anything else you need from the Institute, or from me." The two men shook hands and Argus was gone.

Jaime struggled to remain in control of her emotions. Steve knelt beside her chair, wrapped her in his arms and looked into her eyes with a reassuring smile. "Sweetheart, he's not getting anywhere near you; we won't let him. **I** won't let him."

"Jaime, I'm sending you underground until Michael is re-captured," Oscar told her. "That way, we know you'll be safe and out of his reach."

"No," Jaime said firmly, as angry as she was frightened. "I don't wanna go into hiding. I think I can help find him."

"Sweetheart -" Steve began.

"Just listen to me. Please?" She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "The way Argus described him, Michael's a threat to anyone who crosses his path. We need to find him fast. the only way he's gonna come out of hiding is if we give him a reason -"

"_Not a chance in Hell!"_ Steve said, a little too emphatically. Jaime looked at him, her eyebrows raised. "Do you know how close he came to killing you the last time?"

Jaime choked back tears, stubbornly refusing to cry. "I think I'm aware of that, yes," she said quietly.

Steve softened. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart, but I just can't let you do it."

_"Let me?_ First, it isn't your decision; it's Oscar's, and mine. Second - **_let me_**?"

"I didn't mean that the way it sounded, but seeing you limp in his arms, not even knowing if you were alive or dead...it still shows up in my worst nightmares. Oscar - tell her she can't do this."

"Actually, Pal, she makes a good point."

"Then send me," Steve insisted. "I'm sure he's good and pissed off at me. I helped stop him from taking Jaime, and she and I are back together, so -"

"Mad at you, yes," Rudy interrupted. "But his obsession is with Jaime, and that's what's driving him now. I've got to go with Oscar and Jaime on this one."

Steve was out-voted. Or, rather, he would've been if there'd been a democratic vote. This was Oscar Goldman's office, though, and only one vote got cast and counted. That was how, a few hours later, Steve found himself in the basement of Jaime's DC home. Jaime was in the living room, directly above him, spending as much time as she could in front of the big picture window. Steve wore a special earpiece, enabling him to hear anything Jaime heard, on the phone or in person. he just hoped it would be enough...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

More than 48 hours had gone by with no sign of Michael. A few times, Jaime thought she sensed (but never saw or heard) someone outside the house, just...lurking. Steve was glad they'd equipped him for the long haul. There was a tiny half-bath next to the laundry room, with a sink that allowed him to wash up and gave him a source of running water. He had a coffee maker, plenty of provisions, a radio transmitter, should he need to call the OSI or for an ambulance, and some books and magazines to pass the time. Steve knew he wouldn't be able to take his attention off of Jaime and keeping her safe long enough to read. The coffee maker was definitely getting a work-out, though. Since arriving two nights earlier, Steve hadn't allowed himself so much as a nap. He had seen the unnatural glint in Michael's eyes up close, six months ago, and knew he was capable of anything. If he had gotten even worse...Steve didn't want to think about that.

Everything was quiet upstairs. Jaime had turned off the tv at 11, read a book for a little while (Steve could actually hear the pages turning) and then gone to bed. His earpiece was so sensitive and well-tuned that Steve could hear her steady, rhythmic breathing, and he knew she was already asleep. He put on a fresh pot of coffee and settled in to wait.

Several hours later, in the quietest, most lonely part of the night, a gloved hand pressed a chloroform-soaked cloth over Jaime's face. She rolled over in bed, but the hand stayed firmly in place until the figure standing over her was satisfied that she was fully under the effects of the drug. Then he picked her up and carried her silently from the house. Her breathing remained slow and even; Steve never heard a thing.

Jaime's abductor placed her soundlessly in the back of the van he had stolen a few hours earlier and proceeded on to step two of his plan. Steve's earpiece went silent as the van pulled away into the darkness.

Steve was immediately alarmed. The implant in Jaime's ear ran off the same power source as her bionic ear itself, so there was no battery to wear out. The only people capable of de-activating it were Rudy...and..._Michael._

He was up the stairs at bionic speed, his fingers switching on the transmitter that was already tuned to OSI frequency and hitting the button. He saw that Jaime's bed was empty, and felt a sudden, almost physical blow, as though a lead brick thrown at warp speed had slammed into his chest.

OSI Headquarters answered immediately. "Yeah, Steve - it's Russ."

"Is Oscar in the office?"

"Yeah, he's here. First time he's -"

"Get him - **now**."

"Steve?" Oscar answered just seconds later.

"She's gone, Oscar."

"What do you mean, gone?"

"Her bed is empty, her implant is dead, and I can smell chloroform. Dammit - he took her while she was sleeping. She never made a sound; she never got the chance..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The sun had already come up before she finally opened her eyes, but Jaime had no way to know that. The small, damp room had no windows. At first, she thought she was dreaming, still safe in her bed with Steve standing guard downstairs. It took several moments for her to realize that her reality was now much different, and infinitely more dangerous.

"Good morning, Jaime." _Michael -_ her mind screamed the name in bright, blood-red letters. She heard him before she saw him because her whole body felt so heavy and weighted down that she couldn't even move her head. She wasn't tied up or restrained, but she was completely unable to move.

Michael crouched down where Jaime lay crumpled on a blanket on the floor. He leaned closer - she could feel his breath on her face - and smiled at her.

"So glad you could make it." Jaime shivered at the glitter in his eyes and the hidden malice in his voice. "Oh - I should probably tell you Steve can't hear us. I'm not stupid, Jaime. I helped design that nifty little implant he was listening through, and now I've un-designed it. Yep - it's gone. This time, he won't be riding in on a white horse to save you."

Michael reached out and ran his fingers down her face and across her lips. "This time we're alone, Baby; no interruptions." He stood up and began pacing restlessly.

"It didn't have to be like this, Jaime. You should've come with me last time - we could've been so happy together. But you...you ruined it. You chose Mister-Ken-Doll-on-Steroids." His voice was as quiet as the snarl of a tiger about to devour its prey. "That was a mistake, Jaime. But I love you so much that I'm going to forgive you. it's in the past. He's in your past. I'm your present and your future - you'll see that for yourself in time. And you know what? I love you enough to know that to help you see the truth, I'm gonna have to hurt you. No pain, no gain, right? I love you enough to do whatever it takes for us to be together."

Jaime still couldn't move, couldn't speak, and had no choice but to listen in mute horror to the ravings of a lunatic.

"I gave this a lot of thought, Baby." Michael laughed bitterly. "Had a whole lot of time and nothing else to do. My first idea was the old classic: die together, and we're linked forever. But I wanted to be with you, to enjoy watching our love grow and blossom. Drugs? Maybe to start, but not permanent enough. So...I've spent the last two days perfecting my latest invention, just for you."

Michael moved out of Jaime's line of vision and returned pushing and evil-looking, box-like contraption with dozens of wires leading out of it at all angles. "This," he said with a flourish, "Is my portable, non-patented, untested but fully operational...shock therapy machine!" He knelt next to Jaime. "See, once I blot out all the garbage Oscar and Steve have put in that pretty little head, I can make you think anything I choose; reprogram your circuits, so to speak."

Jaime closed her eyes and pictured Steve's face, trying desperately to remove herself from what was happening. She felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes but couldn't even raise a hand to wipe them away.

"Of course," Michael said with a menacing grin, "I won't know if the voltage is too strong until we actually try it out. Lucky you - you get to be the guinea pig. But you're used to that, right?" He said, going for the words he knew would hit a nerve and cause her maximum pain. "You've been Rudy's little lab rat for years now."

He picked up the first wire and a tube of medical adhesive. "May as well get started." Suddenly, Michael's eyes opened wide, almost bugging out of his head, and he dropped to the ground next to Jaime's blanket, instantly unconscious. Standing in the now-open doorway, directly behind Michael and still holding a tranquilizer gun at the ready, was...Sam Argus.

"Are you alright?" he asked urgently. Jaime couldn't answer or even smile to show her relief and gratitude, but she hoped her eyes said what she couldn't. "I'm just going to move him out of the way; I'll be right back." Sam grabbed Michael's feet, not caring if he hurt him at this point, dragged him to the far corner of the room and returned to Jaime's side, kneeling next to her on the blanket. He took a syringe from his pocket and showed it to Jaime.

"I know a needle's the last thing you want to see right now, but this one will help, not hurt you. I know what he gave you by what was missing from our drug room, and this is the antidote. Will you be ok with my giving you a shot?" he asked kindly. Jaime couldn't answer, but her eyes conveyed the answer, and Sam stuck the needle into her left arm as gently as he could, rubbing the injection spot afterward. "There," he said, smiling as he looked into her eyes. "It'll take a little while, be sort of gradual, but you should at least be able to talk soon."

Jaime managed a small smile at him, and Sam took her hand to try and soothe away some of the terror he knew she'd just been through. "Your friends are on their way here, in a Medivac. You'll be good as new before you know it." He brushed the tears from her face. "And I will personally make sure he never gets the chance to be near you, ever again. I thought about using a real gun instead of a tranquilizer - would've been justified - and I do have one with me. But shooting him would've let him off too easily. I wanted him to pay for a very long time for doing this to such an innocent - and beautiful - young woman."

"Thank you," she managed to tell him. Wow - he has the kindest, brightest green eyes I've ever seen, she thought. So comforting. As the feeling began to return to her arms, Jaime wrapped them around Sam in an expression of gratitude and a request for comfort. She was amazed that, even at this moment, after something so horrific, she felt...something. A tiny spark, but a spark, nonetheless. Now _this_ was electricity she could definitely deal with!

END


End file.
